Ann Cullen Smith: A Legacy of Stewardship

CMHS Annual Meeting & Special Presentation

Ann Cullen Smith: A Legacy of Stewardship Presentation by Jerrold Gershone

Join the City of Minnetonka Historical Society (CMHS) for our Annual Meeting, followed by an inspiring presentation celebrating the remarkable life and lasting impact of Ann Cullen Smith. Seating is limited — registration is required.

📅 Tuesday, September 9 6:00 PM – CMHS Annual Meeting (members encouraged to attend) 6:30 PM – Special Presentation (open to all) Dragon Room at The Marsh – 15000 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka

Ann Cullen Smith was a remarkable resident of Minnetonka and leaves behind a strong legacy of environmental stewardship for the City. Ann had a privileged upbringing growing up in the Kenwood area of Minneapolis. In the 1930s Ann married William Cullen and they decided to move to the “country”. They bought 30 acres in Minnetonka. Ann had a vision to preserve the property for nature and the enjoyment of nature. She fended off developers and worked with the City to place the land in a permanent conservation easement for a future Nature Preserve. The family very generously sold the land to the City for about half its value. Ann lived on the property until she was 105.

The property transferred to the City upon Ann’s death in 2015. The Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary was formed by a group of very dedicated volunteers. The Friends are working with the City to turn Ann’s vision to reality. The land was very degraded with invasive species and the Friends and the City have procured grants for ecological restoration. A large part of the Preserve has been restored to the original oak savanna, a rare ecosystem. The results are already apparent with twice the number of bird species observed in a few years’ time.

Join us to learn more about Ann Cullen Smith and how her vision is becoming reality!

About the Presenter: Jerrold Gershone

Jerrold describes his journey as, “From Adman to Community Organizer for Nature”. After nearly 40 years Jerrold and his business partner sold their healthcare marketing firm in 2020. Since then Jerrold has been part of starting two nonprofits: Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Friends of Minnetonka Parks. He also started a YouTube Channel: Habitat Makers @habitatmakers about people and groups devoted to ecological restoration. In his spare time Jerrold is also a volunteer stem cell courier.

In order to keep an accurate registration count, we ask that you please submit an individual registration form for each member of your party.